Friday, July 30, 2010

Dissolve the borders between indoors and out at this eco luxury resort in Thailand. The abundance of natural materials enhance the connection to nature. Enjoy a little daydream... enjoy the sunshine this weekend.

a dining pod... not exactly sure how it works but it sure looks great!

Thursday, July 29, 2010

I love, love, this space. I found this while dreamily browsing through Nest Interiors' site after a lovely email from Beth, the creator. Can you imagaine a more perfect space for entertaining on a starry summer night? A brilliant use of space in this reclaimed greenhouse, I'll take it just the way it is.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Give a room in your house a graphic punch with these authentic, vintage signs used to mark trolley stops in the UK, which delightfully popped into my inbox last week! Each one-of-a-kind, get one from Room & Board.

I love these so much, I decided to embark on a quest and seek out perfectly industrial spaces, full of reused nooks, vintage peices and reclaimed wooden beams, each of which these trolley signs would be perfectly suited...

Monday, July 26, 2010

Gee, life is so much fun, especially when your inbox is full of lovely surprises! I got an email over the weekend from Zerihun of ExtraSeed, a newly opened Etsy shop that makes adorable flats made with recycled rubber soles, and scraps of leather/fabric recycled from the garment industry. They are adorable! Visit her Etsy shop and have a gander!

Friday, July 23, 2010

Honestly, I'm not sure why, but to me its very refreshing to find a boutique hotel that's so FRESH in Mexico, which unfortunately seems to have been so dominated by big chain hotels. (If I'm wrong and you've been some place fabulous, leave me a link and I'll check it out!) At any rate, I've been sitting on Hotel Basico for a few weeks, and I'm dying to share it with you! Hotel Basico challenges what a typical designer boutique hotel should be with a raw but impecably cool style, and a penchant for local and reused materials. The building and floors are concrete (locally produced), the walls are mainly plywood, and the plumbing and electrical is intentionally exposed (I so love industrial design!), and in fact, becomes one of the main design foundations of the hotel.

the inside/outside look is to die for!

The hotel has a definite playful attitude that invites spontaneity, for example, beds in each room are floating, and beneath each guests will find a white polaroid for catching the moment, flippers, goggles, toys and soccerballs, to name a few.

Another nod at a playful attitude are the recycled tires found around the hotel. Besides becoming a great, almost nautical focal point, the tires have been repurposed into side tables too.

The rooftop features a terrace with two pools boasting an incredible view. What's more, they are made of repurposed petroleum tanks. Supposedly the daybeds are made of recycled truck beds too.

Hotel Basico is located at Playa del Carmen in Mexico; average price for a room is $200US/night.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Here is a home that really makes the best use of available real-estate, limiting urban sprawl. The award winning Gap House (see it, in the middle, with the vertical windows and horizontal shutters?), design by UK based architects Pitman Tozer, is seemingly short on space, yet the images shown below look expansive, airy, and roomy. Goes to show that you should never feel limited and explore all potential! The design was developed to determine the most cost effective methods of achieving an environmentally friendly house and utilises: Passive solar design, highly insulated building envelope, a ground coupled heat pump and rainwater harvesting.

I got an email from Sarah, a student at the Creative Circus (an accredited portfolio school in Atlanta for advertising creatives) about a special campaign that she and some other fellow students had put together, in an effort to change the way their fellow students view and use recycled paper, and at a school where creativity reigns King, they unveiled their campaign in an unprecedented way. On July 19th, administration, staff and students arrived to a school overflowing with advertisements and free notebooks made from previously recycled work. The message? Use the backside of sheets of paper when brainstorming and sketching ideas. Fresh ideas don’t need fresh sheets of paper. Love this line of creative thinking!

{free notebooks for students made from recycled paper gathered around the school}

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

I don't know how I missed this, but I realize the other day that next to my favourite shops on Etsy, there is a button that says 'suggested shops'...curious that I hadn't noticed before (gosh I must be blind), I clicked on it, and was greeted by a hundred or so shops that seemed they were handpicked, just for me! It was in this cheerful discovery that I came across one of my new all time favourites, Pretty Birdy by Stephanie Teague. Stephanie makes the most gorgeously classy, perfect work/casual wear, in wonderfully sustainable fibres such as hemp, organic cotton and linen. I just may have to pick something to take home....

Have you ever read the label on your shampoo bottle and wondered what the heck is 'Diathanolamine'? And then you figure, well heck, they wouldn't put it in the bottle if it wasn't safe. Well, think again. This is something that has interested me for a long time, and yet, many people still remain surprised that many of their personal care products, the ones they love, use everyday, and trust, contain a host of chemicals which are known hormone distruptors, carcinogens, or toxic in some way. Even shampoos and baby care products! Since educating myself on this, I've researched and found alternative products that work just as well and give me the results I want without all the toxic ick. Here's a link to a post I wrote earlier this year that expands on the matter, and includes a handy downloadable pocket guide of the top 12 worst chems to avoid. So, I was really excited when I received this email today about Annie Leonard's new video, "The Story of Cosmetics"; you may have heard of her earlier, popular video "The Story of Stuff "(if you haven't seen it yet be sure to watch it too!). Annie delivers her message in an informative but upbeat way - the video is only seven minutes long, but it so worth watching. You'll be surprised, then outraged, but once you calm down, do something about it! Click here, read this, and then try out 'Skin Deep' yourself and sort out what's safe, and what's not. Not to be too heavy, but the sooner we deal with the nasties, the quicker we can be healthier and safer. Cheers!

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

This is how I'm feeling today {and I also absolutely love Farouche}. The launch of Pure Green Magazine is going well, the comments and feedback I'm getting are very uplifting!!!!!!!!!!!!! Happy days for me! Can't wait to start working on issue #2! Thanks to everyone for your support!

Monday, July 19, 2010

I have been dropping hints over the last few weeks about a new project of mine....well, here it is! I want to introduce you to Pure Green Living Magazine, a bi-monthly online publication for green living and design, with style. Today is the official launch - unlike a regular magazine launch I have kept it quiet until today. I wanted to spring it on the world and see what happened!

I have always had a secret desire to be in publishing, and this is my wish come true. As you know, I am very passionate in my views on green living, and don't for one second think that living green means sacrificing style. In fact, I believe it leads to a more enriched life and creates a new appreciation for your surroundings. PGL is my passion outspoken, which I hope will be an inspiration to all.

{cover of the premier issue}

I want to send a special Thank You to some very special people, who helped me make the premier possible:

And to the many others who provided such wonderful feedback during our soft release!

Also, a special Thank You to my advertisers, who all have amazing products and wonderful businesses. Please say hello!

I wrote and designed the premier issue myself (with exception of recipes from the Organic Kitchen, and Green is Preseved). As the editor, I felt I needed to get a feel for the magazine before I enlisted contributors. If you are interested in becoming a regular or occasional contributor, have a great idea, or have/know of a great green home, before & after or DIY project you would like featured, email me at puregreendesign{at}gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you!

Now, after all the formalities, have a read! If you like what you see, help me spread the word, I'll be eternally grateful.